


you better give up on giving up

by willa_earps



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Episode 25, Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship, episode 25 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-08 00:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15231243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willa_earps/pseuds/willa_earps
Summary: “The other night, back at the Labenda…” he starts, and Caleb turns to look at him questioningly. “You said you thought I was a good man."Fjord and Caleb share a moment after leaving Hupperdook.





	you better give up on giving up

It’s cold as the seven of them make their way out of Hupperdook proper. The sun is setting, but the workday isn’t quite over in the town, and sharp clanging and shouts reverberate from the work yards as the Mighty Nein reach the outer and gates and push through into the emptiness of the open road. Fjord watches the cart ahead of him, where an uncharacteristically subdued Jester sits in the driver’s seat with Nott making quiet conversation next to her. Molly, Beau, and Yasha walk a few feet further ahead; Beau stands slightly closer to Yasha than strictly necessary, citing a need for warmth as her excuse while Molly rolls his eyes and snipes at her good-naturedly. They probably could have used another night in an inn, Fjord thinks, but Hupperdook wasn’t necessarily the best place to find a restful sleep, even if they weren’t on a tight shedule, and Fjord finds he’s happy to be on the move again now that he can be sure those children are safe.

Shifting his gaze back behind the cart where Jester and Nott sit, Fjord’s eyes catch on Caleb walking slightly ahead of him, seeming to be deep in silent contemplation. Gods know what the man is thinking about; it’s been a long day for all of them, and Caleb looks about as tired as the rest of the group probably feels. By contrast, the triumph of the day’s events is still thrumming under Fjord’s skin, urging him to move, so he picks up the pace until he can fall into step with Caleb, who tilts his head to acknowledge his presence, but doesn’t speak. After a moment of walking in tandem, Fjord breaks the silence.

“How’re you holdin’ up? You were pretty beat up after we took down the automaton earlier today.” It had been a gruesome fight and Caleb, along with Beau, had taken the brunt of the damage. Fjord figures he owes the man his thanks for that, as well as for his attempts to persuade the warden to help them.

Fjord watches as the corner of Caleb’s mouth quirks up in a wry smile at his words. “Ja, well, I very nearly had my innards spilt across the floor of that prison, so that is a bit of an understatement. We are lucky that our friend Jester is willing to patch us up time and again in situations like these.” He turns his chin to where Jester and Nott sit on the cart, his mouth turning down again at the sight of the tiefling’s slumped, blue shoulders.

Fjord follows Caleb’s gaze, heaving a sigh. He can tell that the other man is troubled to by Jester’s demeanor but, judging by Caleb’s tendency towards awkwardness, isn’t quite sure how to help. “Jester’ll be okay. Leaving Kiri was hard on her, but she knew it had to be done.” Fjord resists and absurd urge to knock his shoulder into Caleb’s as he continues. “Besides, looks like Nott’s doin’ a pretty good job of cheering her up.” In the cart, Fjord can see Nott teaching Jester some kind of sleight of hand using a copper piece, its metal glinting in the dying light as the masked goblin shifts it across her fingers. “Those two’ve gotten pretty close in the short time we’ve known one another. I’m glad she’s with us.” He and Nott don’t tend to get along well, but she’s a great companion to Jester, and Fjord appreciates her presence for that at the very least.

Caleb smiles again, a small tilt at the edges of his mouth. “Me too. She is a good friend.”

They lapse back into silence, Caleb seeming to return to his private thoughts, and for a moment Fjord isn’t quite sure how to continue. 

“The other night, back at the Labenda…” he starts, and Caleb turns to back to him questioningly. “You said you thought I was a good man.” When Caleb had approached him at the inn, Fjord had taken the conversation as a sign that things were returning to normal between himself and Caleb now that the tension between them had had time to dispel itself. While neither of them had really broached the topic of the High Richter’s house until then, Caleb’s words seemed to have been as much of a reconciliation gesture as the man was capable of making. “What we did today…I mean what I said about bein’ grateful for you all deciding to help those kids get their parents back.”

Caleb is silent again for a long moment, running his hand through his hair – a nervous tick that Fjord had noticed a couple of times, before speaking again.“It was, you know, a good thing, to bring a family back together. Family is important.” Something flashes behind Caleb’s eyes as he says that, and Fjord can tell that there’s something the man isn’t saying, but for the moment decides not to question it.

“Yeah, it is.”

Up ahead, Molly is pointing out a meadow where they can set up camp for the night. Fjord expects Caleb to move away to talk to Nott about when they want to take watch, but instead the man stays where he is, keeping pace beside him in a comfortable silence of the evening.

Fjord looks back from the group ahead, tilting his head towards Caleb once more. “Y’know, I think if we keep goin’ like we did today, keep on doin’ deeds like that, we’ll all be on our way to becoming good people.” It’s his own olive branch. Caleb hasn’t kept it a secret that he doesn’t think well of himself, but from what Fjord has seen so far, the man is kind, braver than he gives himself credit for, and almost certainly not irredeemable for whatever happened in his past.

Caleb fixes Fjord with a long, appraising look, and Fjord knows that the man has caught his meaning. After a moment, he shrugs, almost imperceptibly, like he isn’t quite sure he believes the sentiment, but he doesn’t protest. Instead, Caleb pulls his cloak around him, and holds Fjord’s gaze as he replies.

“Ja,” he says. “Maybe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Caleb and Fjord couldn't have one of their usual Soft Conversations at the end of ep 25 because Travis was off literally becoming a father, so here's how I imagine the scene would've gone. I hope I did these idiot magic dads justice.
> 
> Title from "Deliverance" by CHVRCHES because it's not like I've been listening to it and thinking about Caleb for the past two weeks or anything


End file.
